Integrated Community Emergency Response Training (ICERT) Center at the Orthopedic Capital Center

The Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program (Byrne Discretionary Program) helps local communities improve the capacity of local justice systems and provides for national support efforts. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 08 Congressional Budget. Funds should be used for purposes recommended by Congress.

The Grace College will equip Kosciusko County, Indiana with a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The Grace College operates the Integrated Community Emergency Response Training Center, which provides training for community members and professional emergency responders for local disasters and emergencies. They will: conduct annual large-scale community outreach, including presentations by nationally-recognized health and safety speakers, workshops, and disaster simulation drills; develop and disseminate printed materials; produce media releases and public service announcements to inform the community and to recruit CERT members; purchase training materials such as fire suppression materials, medical mannequins, first aid kits, and search and rescue supplies; and, recruit and train the CERT trainers through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and the Emergency Management Institute's train-the-trainer programs. Topics of the training will include disaster preparedness and identification of vulnerabilities, disaster fire suppression, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue operations, disaster psychology, team organization, and disaster simulation.

NCA/NCF